Bush’s news conference has been fascinating. His exchange with Helen Thomas shows that he should engage in adversarial exchanges about the war in Iraq more, not less, often. He was powerful, optimistic, frustrated, passionate, determined, and a man with his back to the wall — all at the same time. He made a misstep early on by saying “Iraq” when he meant to say “Afghanistan” — his critics will probably read something into that — but overall his performance was quite strong. He said frankly that he is spending his political capital on the war. Going face-to-face with his critics is one of the best ways to make his argument.